rumor

Remember that rumor about Samsung buying BlackBerry? It sounded logical enough, and caused quite the stir. Many rushed to get in front of a camera or slap an editorial out about why it was such a great deal for everyone (or not), and we all started thinking about what it could mean moving forward. The problem was — it wasn’t true. The rumor was just that, but it had ramifications. Stock prices soared for both companies, and now the SEC is investigating.

Chevrolet may have insisted the Bolt EV was a concept when it pulled the wraps off the compact car in Detroit last month, but according to new rumors we won't have that long to wait for a production version. Slotting in underneath the Chevy Volt in both size and range, the concept was designed, according to GM president Mary Barra, to satisfy markets outside of just California, which has been the most enthusiastic to embrace electric and hybrid technology so far. Now, new rumors say production is likely to kick off late next year.

Kia keeps dripping out details of its new rugged concept car, now dubbed the Kia Trail'ster, though if anything we're even more confused than we were before. What started last month as the teasing bumper and chunky wheels of a concept for the Chicago Auto Show now has a name - replete with needless apostrophe - and what turns out to be not quite the electric all-wheel-drive powertrain we were expecting. Instead, it appears that the Trail'ster will be a hybrid, combining old and new technologies to make it more sure-footed in snow and mud.

Swatch plans to launch a smartwatch in the next three months, focusing on battery life and mobile payments as the company readies its retort to wrist-worn rivals like Apple Watch. The watch firm, known for its affordable, plastic, and fashionable models, will release a smartwatch that is connected "without having to be charged," according to CEO Nick Hayek, and is intended to work with Android and Windows, though there's no mention of Apple's iOS. The company - part of the Swatch Group which also owns high-end brands like Glashütte, Omega, and Rado - has been cautious on smart wearables in the past, though has quietly been building up its tech portfolio to suit the segment.

Twitter and Google have reached an agreement on how tweets will henceforth show up in search results, according to sources that know of such plans. Says these unnamed sources, the first half of 2015 will see tweets cropping up in Google Search results right after they are tweeted. This is a big change up from how it has thus far happened, with results being delayed due to Google having to crawl through the microblogging service's website to identify the tweets.

As is always the case, Samsung's next flagship is portrayed with almost godlike powers and the Galaxy S6 is no different. Perhaps aside from the fact that it might not be running on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. In addition to dual curved edges and a new "stationary" fingerprint sensor instead of a swipe-based one, now the smartphone is rumored to have one more special feature. If the information is accurate, the Galaxy S6 will be the first to bear Samsung's new mobile payment system, that is rumored not to rely on NFC.

Minivans are a staple of the US Landscape, and now Apple is testing Minivans equipped with Cameras and a LiDAR Sensor for a possible new (secret) project. There have been numerous sightings of these vehicles in recent weeks. What does Apple have up its secret sleeve this time? Is Apple possibly trying to compete with Google Streetview? A bit late to the Mapping game, Apple seem to finally want to shed their ill-received entry into mapping technology, and are actively trying to give their Google counterparts a run for their money, so to speak.

It is no secret that RadioShack has been hurting, with consumers turning to typically less-expensive online retailers for their gadget needs. In early 2014 the company wanted to close down 1100 stores, and last month word surfaced that RadioShack was destined for bankruptcy, and that it could end up selling some of its assets as part of this. Now new sources have surfaced fleshing out some of the details, and according to them the brand itself could cease to exist.

Netflix's limited series reboot of "Wet Hot American Summer" is starting to get a bit crazy. Rumors of the series started surfacing about a year ago, and eventually spawned into a confirmed project that was promised to be seeking the original (and now largely famous) cast. That panned out, and the recent release of the show's first teaser trailer confirmed a load of those original cast members have returned. The list of stars is already big, but just got a bit larger with Jon Hamm, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Schwartzman all being tipped as on board.

Seems like it's an investment run this week. After the rumored Microsoft investment in Cyanogen, Inc., another startup is getting an infusion of cash from a giant. This time, that startup is former crowdfunding darling OUYA and the giant is Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba. Word on the street is that Alibaba is investing around $10 million in OUYA with the goal of putting OUYA's catalog of Android games inside Alibaba's set-top boxes for the Chinese market.